Primary 1 registration exercises - game changer

[malcontent]

And it’s made worse by the continuing reduction in the number seats available…

Yes and no. There is and there have always been more seats available than the number of (SC + PR) students that need to register in any given year. The issue is that everyone is trying to pile in to a select number of schools.

I think most of the closures or mergers have to do with estates/areas that no longer have a large number of young children (in close proximity). The intake at certain hot schools has also been managed down in some years due to declining births, etc.

Yes, enough spots for SC+PR kids, but many DP kids are out of luck. This was not always the case, and shows how tight the supply has become versus the demand. If they increase the whole pie, I think it’s good for everyone. In the past, schools like Tanjong Katong were getting popular because of the diversity of the student body. Now there is no diversity. Personally, I think it’s a real shame and risks a new generation that is more insular than the last.

[malcontent]

Honestly, the entire school system here needs a big rethink. My daughter is now in JC after going through the entire system from P1. Right from the start the feeling is like gasping for air, be it registration, homework, scoring, CCA availability… you name it. With an almost singular focus STEM subjects and a highly overzealous workload - it leaves no space or time for actual thinking, and becomes a very intense cookie cutter system. By comparison my son has gone through SAS from grade 1 and is starting HS this year. While it’s not all roses at SAS, it’s a far more nurturing environment that allows students to play on their strengths rather than… you choose: STEM or more STEM. My son does just fine on STEM courses, but his real strength is in visual arts — something he wouldn’t be able to develop in the local system. At SAS he is able to participate in a nationally recognized art program and will take AP courses in art starting at 10th grade.

But the biggest difference? My son actually enjoys learning and my daughter only enjoys scoring - she has no love for learning because it’s been nothing but work, work, work.

[NYY1]

And it’s made worse by the continuing reduction in the number seats available…

Yes and no. There is and there have always been more seats available than the number of (SC + PR) students that need to register in any given year. The issue is that everyone is trying to pile in to a select number of schools.

I think most of the closures or mergers have to do with estates/areas that no longer have a large number of young children (in close proximity). The intake at certain hot schools has also been managed down in some years due to declining births, etc.

Yes, enough spots for SC+PR kids, but many DP kids are out of luck. This was not always the case, and shows how tight the supply has become versus the demand. If they increase the whole pie, I think it’s good for everyone. In the past, schools like Tanjong Katong were getting popular because of the diversity of the student body. Now there is no diversity. Personally, I think it’s a real shame and risks a new generation that is more insular than the last.

Think you have it backwards. The % of international kids in the local schools has remained pretty much the same or gone up in the last decade. If there's more EPs here, it doesn't mean Singapore needs to educate their kids. Through AEIS MOE gets to pick who is admitted.

Net-net, I think they (MOE/SG) are happy with the mix of SC, PR, and IS and the level of diversity it provides.

Edit: the size of each primary school cohort has fallen from ~50,000 to 40,000 over the years. If the % of int'l students was held constant, this would result in fewer vacancies in absolute number.

[NYY1]

Honestly, the entire school system here needs a big rethink. My daughter is now in JC after going through the entire system from P1. Right from the start the feeling is like gasping for air, be it registration, homework, scoring, CCA availability… you name it. With an almost singular focus STEM subjects and a highly overzealous workload - it leaves no space or time for actual thinking, and becomes a very intense cookie cutter system. By comparison my son has gone through SAS from grade 1 and is starting HS this year. While it’s not all roses at SAS, it’s a far more nurturing environment that allows students to play on their strengths rather than… you choose: STEM or more STEM. My son does just fine on STEM courses, but his real strength is in visual arts — something he wouldn’t be able to develop in the local system. At SAS he is able to participate in a nationally recognized art program and will take AP courses in art starting at 10th grade.

But the biggest difference? My son actually enjoys learning and my daughter only enjoys scoring - she has no love for learning because it’s been nothing but work, work, work.

Your kid was/is probably on the tail end of things before some changes were made*. I think things will continue to move and the scene may be quite different a decade from now. There is a lot done by parents to get the kid into this school or that school at the primary level, and there is perhaps too much emphasis on the secondary school posting (streams, IP/O, affiliated JCs, etc). I think the day to day learning is not that different from less exam focused systems, but there is still a marks based system for various postings (which you obviously know).

Regardless, I know many kids in secondary schools of all levels (i.e. abilities) that love going to school and learning. Many do very well in academics but they are also involved in other things (sports, CCA, community service, etc).

There is no doubt a bias towards STEM but schools have humanities, art, and music special programmes as well. Just need to seek out the opportunities and not follow the crowd if that's what you are interested in. SOTA is also a great school for those that like art or music. It is also IBDP, so year 5-6 is more western than A levels.

*There has been a continued reduction of primary school exams over the years. P1-P2 don't have exams any longer, and all mid-year exams will be eliminated starting next year (2023). Currently, only P4 and P6 have full mid-year exams.

[malcontent]

Your kid was/is probably on the tail end of things before some changes were made*. I think things will continue to move and the scene may be quite different a decade from now. There is a lot done by parents to get the kid into this school or that school at the primary level, and there is perhaps too much emphasis on the secondary school posting (streams, IP/O, affiliated JCs, etc). I think the day to day learning is not that different from less exam focused systems, but there is still a marks based system for various postings (which you obviously know).

Regardless, I know many kids in secondary schools of all levels (i.e. abilities) that love going to school and learning. Many do very well in academics but they are also involved in other things (sports, CCA, community service, etc).

There is no doubt a bias towards STEM but schools have humanities, art, and music special programmes as well. Just need to seek out the opportunities and not follow the crowd if that's what you are interested in. SOTA is also a great school for those that like art or music. It is also IBDP, so year 5-6 is more western than A levels.

*There has been a continued reduction of primary school exams over the years. P1-P2 don't have exams any longer, and all mid-year exams will be eliminated starting next year (2023). Currently, only P4 and P6 have full mid-year exams.

I don’t know how local students manage to get into the CCA they have an interest in. My daughter has had a horrible experience with it… no chance to do what she wanted or interested in — the number of available spots are extremely limited and reserved only for with natural talent so the school can compete… so no opportunity for her whatsoever! In secondary it was so bad, she was rejected for every single CCA she tried to get into and was forced to accept a nonsense CCA that she had no interest in. For JC it’s been a similar experience. They just don’t have enough spots for the popular CCAs.

Based on everything I’ve experienced in the local system, I can only imagine SOTA is extremely hard to get into, only the best of the best? I have no idea if it’s true, but things here are so predictable.

Fortunately my daughter excels in STEM and has had near perfect results, so she is content… but has no life, no passions, just studies 24/7.

[malcontent]

Just found this on the web:

SOTA typically accepts 200 new students each year. This equates to approximately 20 students per major. Statistically, SOTA will accept roughly one out of every five students who apply. Unfortunately, four of every five families will not be accepted.

Is it any wonder why parents become kiasu?

[Lisafuller]

I think a) they added 20 seats to 2C (from 20 to 40), and this was going to cause more schools to ballot in 2A1 or 2A2 (some may have no vacancy in 2A2), and b) MOE Kindy was in 2A2 (they didn't want these people to be squeeze out, although most really popular schools don't have MOE Kindy).

The reduced seats have hurt everyone in 2A. I think it has helped the teachers (move from 2A2 to 2A), and the alumni that hadn't joined their association (also move from 2A2 to 2A). For the latter, many were likely > 2 km though, and they are at risk of getting pushed out if everyone tries to move < 2 km to avoid balloting.

https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/press-relea ... pen-to-all

Wow, these are a ton of changes. Honestly I can’t imagine what inspired them though, nothing much has changed in the last few years.

I don't think it's accurate to say nothing much has changed. Over the past few years there had been an increase in 2A1 and 2A2 registrations to the point where some schools were balloting in 2A1. This squeezed the subsequent phases (2B and 2C), and there was a complaint that those living nearby cannot even get a spot (of course, for the very popular schools there will never be enough spots no matter what they do). Additionally, MOE Kindy has been ramping up and this was going to add to the number of 2A2 registrations in future years.

While primary school registration has always been important to many, it (or more specifically the pursuit of certain schools) seems to be attracting more and more people every year.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapo ... on-2142121

I meant nothing much is changed as far as students and parents go, not the schools.

[Lisafuller]

And it’s made worse by the continuing reduction in the number seats available…

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/comment ... nos-219886

Is this supposed to inspire more babies?

If anything, I guess that it would produce the converse effect. Where would you send the babies to school?

[Lisafuller]

And it’s made worse by the continuing reduction in the number seats available…

Yes and no. There is and there have always been more seats available than the number of (SC + PR) students that need to register in any given year. The issue is that everyone is trying to pile in to a select number of schools.

I think most of the closures or mergers have to do with estates/areas that no longer have a large number of young children (in close proximity). The intake at certain hot schools has also been managed down in some years due to declining births, etc.

Not just that, but some of these schools tend to be under subscribed for years on end because parents favor other schools which they perceived to be more reputable or prestigious. The result is a very inefficient spread of applicants.

[Lisafuller]

And it’s made worse by the continuing reduction in the number seats available…

Yes and no. There is and there have always been more seats available than the number of (SC + PR) students that need to register in any given year. The issue is that everyone is trying to pile in to a select number of schools.

I think most of the closures or mergers have to do with estates/areas that no longer have a large number of young children (in close proximity). The intake at certain hot schools has also been managed down in some years due to declining births, etc.

Yes, enough spots for SC+PR kids, but many DP kids are out of luck. This was not always the case, and shows how tight the supply has become versus the demand. If they increase the whole pie, I think it’s good for everyone. In the past, schools like Tanjong Katong were getting popular because of the diversity of the student body. Now there is no diversity. Personally, I think it’s a real shame and risks a new generation that is more insular than the last.

You make a good point, nowadays you very rarely see any non-SC or PR students in local schools.

[Lisafuller]

Honestly, the entire school system here needs a big rethink. My daughter is now in JC after going through the entire system from P1. Right from the start the feeling is like gasping for air, be it registration, homework, scoring, CCA availability… you name it. With an almost singular focus STEM subjects and a highly overzealous workload - it leaves no space or time for actual thinking, and becomes a very intense cookie cutter system. By comparison my son has gone through SAS from grade 1 and is starting HS this year. While it’s not all roses at SAS, it’s a far more nurturing environment that allows students to play on their strengths rather than… you choose: STEM or more STEM. My son does just fine on STEM courses, but his real strength is in visual arts — something he wouldn’t be able to develop in the local system. At SAS he is able to participate in a nationally recognized art program and will take AP courses in art starting at 10th grade.

But the biggest difference? My son actually enjoys learning and my daughter only enjoys scoring - she has no love for learning because it’s been nothing but work, work, work.

Out of curiosity Mal, is there a reason why you’ve placed them in such different schools? Why wouldn’t you just send both of them to SAS?

[Lisafuller]

Honestly, the entire school system here needs a big rethink. My daughter is now in JC after going through the entire system from P1. Right from the start the feeling is like gasping for air, be it registration, homework, scoring, CCA availability… you name it. With an almost singular focus STEM subjects and a highly overzealous workload - it leaves no space or time for actual thinking, and becomes a very intense cookie cutter system. By comparison my son has gone through SAS from grade 1 and is starting HS this year. While it’s not all roses at SAS, it’s a far more nurturing environment that allows students to play on their strengths rather than… you choose: STEM or more STEM. My son does just fine on STEM courses, but his real strength is in visual arts — something he wouldn’t be able to develop in the local system. At SAS he is able to participate in a nationally recognized art program and will take AP courses in art starting at 10th grade.

But the biggest difference? My son actually enjoys learning and my daughter only enjoys scoring - she has no love for learning because it’s been nothing but work, work, work.

Your kid was/is probably on the tail end of things before some changes were made*. I think things will continue to move and the scene may be quite different a decade from now. There is a lot done by parents to get the kid into this school or that school at the primary level, and there is perhaps too much emphasis on the secondary school posting (streams, IP/O, affiliated JCs, etc). I think the day to day learning is not that different from less exam focused systems, but there is still a marks based system for various postings (which you obviously know).

Regardless, I know many kids in secondary schools of all levels (i.e. abilities) that love going to school and learning. Many do very well in academics but they are also involved in other things (sports, CCA, community service, etc).

There is no doubt a bias towards STEM but schools have humanities, art, and music special programmes as well. Just need to seek out the opportunities and not follow the crowd if that's what you are interested in. SOTA is also a great school for those that like art or music. It is also IBDP, so year 5-6 is more western than A levels.

*There has been a continued reduction of primary school exams over the years. P1-P2 don't have exams any longer, and all mid-year exams will be eliminated starting next year (2023). Currently, only P4 and P6 have full mid-year exams.

I have to disagree, kids in local schools for the most part have completely lost their love of learning because they have been trained to only chase grades. My daughter graduated from Raffles Institution last year after spending her entire life in raffles family schools. The kids there were miserable, incredibly intelligent, but miserable.

[Lisafuller]

Your kid was/is probably on the tail end of things before some changes were made*. I think things will continue to move and the scene may be quite different a decade from now. There is a lot done by parents to get the kid into this school or that school at the primary level, and there is perhaps too much emphasis on the secondary school posting (streams, IP/O, affiliated JCs, etc). I think the day to day learning is not that different from less exam focused systems, but there is still a marks based system for various postings (which you obviously know).

Regardless, I know many kids in secondary schools of all levels (i.e. abilities) that love going to school and learning. Many do very well in academics but they are also involved in other things (sports, CCA, community service, etc).

There is no doubt a bias towards STEM but schools have humanities, art, and music special programmes as well. Just need to seek out the opportunities and not follow the crowd if that's what you are interested in. SOTA is also a great school for those that like art or music. It is also IBDP, so year 5-6 is more western than A levels.

*There has been a continued reduction of primary school exams over the years. P1-P2 don't have exams any longer, and all mid-year exams will be eliminated starting next year (2023). Currently, only P4 and P6 have full mid-year exams.

I don’t know how local students manage to get into the CCA they have an interest in. My daughter has had a horrible experience with it… no chance to do what she wanted or interested in — the number of available spots are extremely limited and reserved only for with natural talent so the school can compete… so no opportunity for her whatsoever! In secondary it was so bad, she was rejected for every single CCA she tried to get into and was forced to accept a nonsense CCA that she had no interest in. For JC it’s been a similar experience. They just don’t have enough spots for the popular CCAs.

Based on everything I’ve experienced in the local system, I can only imagine SOTA is extremely hard to get into, only the best of the best? I have no idea if it’s true, but things here are so predictable.

Fortunately my daughter excels in STEM and has had near perfect results, so she is content… but has no life, no passions, just studies 24/7.

That’s sad to hear. I do hope her grades take her to a really good college in the US where she can finally have some time to develop a better work life balance. As for sota, it really has nothing to do with the quality of the school, but rather the fact that it is the only school of its kind so naturally it’s bound to be over subscribed.

[Lisafuller]

Just found this on the web:

SOTA typically accepts 200 new students each year. This equates to approximately 20 students per major. Statistically, SOTA will accept roughly one out of every five students who apply. Unfortunately, four of every five families will not be accepted.

Is it any wonder why parents become kiasu?

Surely that can be said about any competitive school or college.

[NYY1]

I don’t know how local students manage to get into the CCA they have an interest in. My daughter has had a horrible experience with it… no chance to do what she wanted or interested in — the number of available spots are extremely limited and reserved only for with natural talent so the school can compete… so no opportunity for her whatsoever! In secondary it was so bad, she was rejected for every single CCA she tried to get into and was forced to accept a nonsense CCA that she had no interest in. For JC it’s been a similar experience. They just don’t have enough spots for the popular CCAs.

Based on everything I’ve experienced in the local system, I can only imagine SOTA is extremely hard to get into, only the best of the best? I have no idea if it’s true, but things here are so predictable.

Fortunately my daughter excels in STEM and has had near perfect results, so she is content… but has no life, no passions, just studies 24/7.

Sorry about the CCA experience. There is no doubt that the popular ones are hard to get into. Basically, all of the UGs are overflow for kids that likely didn't get one of their choices. Personally, I don't think the UGs are that bad, and the most important thing is that the kid has a good attitude and makes the most out of whatever opportunity he/she has. If there's a complaint that all of the time could have been spent on something the kid was more interested in, then I can't refute that.

For better or worse, no matter how smart or high ranking these kids are, many won't get their university of choice (here or abroad) or their first job of choice. So need to learn how to deal with it instead of just complaining all of the time. A few kids I know did not get their choice CCA but when they look at all of the other things they got (academic programmes, leadership appointments, etc), life is not too bad (they are quite fortunate).

I'm not sure on SOTA's admission odds, although I see you posted something else.